Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a roller coaster year last season.
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The “ups” were really up. At the All-Star break, he had 25 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases – all while playing spectacular defense.
After making his first All-Star game (and as a starter), “PCA” experienced his “downs.” The rest of the way, he managed just 6 home runs, 24 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases, although his defense remained stellar.
It only stands to reason, then, that the experts don’t quite know what to make of the young star and can’t really wrap their heads around just how good he may turn out to be.
ESPN displayed that PCA confusion in their recent ranking of MLB’s top 100 players, where they placed the 23-year-old no. 22.
PCA’s ranking on ESPN Top 100 sparks debate
Sep 24, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after scoring on a wild pitch thrown by New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
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The placement would make him the no. 8 outfielder in all of baseball and the no. 2 center fielder, behind the Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez
Per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers:
“The baseball world is wondering who the real PCA is. The easy answer is he’s somewhere between who he was in the first and second half of last season. Vowing to get on more this season, he will steal 50 bases and hit 20 home runs.”
Hitting 20 home runs and stealing 50 bases would make him an elite-tier asset, especially when one considers what he brings to the field defensively. There’s definitely an argument to be made, though, that he has a higher ceiling than that.
Crow-Armstrong has anguished over the poor finish to his sophomore 2025 season and is working on the mechanical and psychological tweaks needed to produce a more consistent 2026.
Working on 2026
Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) reacts after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
“It’s definitely the swing decisions,” Crow-Armstrong recently told The Athletic. “I know what I do well. I know what I don’t do well. I know that I chase. I know I can get away with hitting bad balls and doing damage on bad balls, but there is no consistency there. It’s very sporadic.”
Calming down and avoiding the urge to press will be key to his success. That may come with maturity and continued experience.
For what it’s worth, new Cub Alex Bregman has been observing and is predicting good things for the coming season, telling PCA directly that he can see how the improvements will lead to less chasing of bad pitches.
“He’s so good already,” Bregman later told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “And he has so much potential. I think he’s going to have the best year of his career this year, for sure.”
To be fair, it’s actually quite impressive that Crow-Armstrong would be ranked as high as no. 22 after such an uneven season that trended downward as the year advanced. It’s a testament to just how much faith experts and analysts have in his abilities.
Other Cubs making ESPN’s Top 100: Nico Hoerner (55), Alex Bregman (61), Dansby Swanson (82), Michael Busch (86), Seiya Suzuki (92).
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